Gear-case.



J.GRADY. GEAR CASE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19,1908.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

JAMES GRADY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN ORTO COLUMBIA MACHINE WORKS d; MALLEABLE IRON CO OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GE ABI-CASE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Application filed September 19, 1908. Serial No. 453,856.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES GRADY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Gear-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a gear case and particularly to gear cases employed in connection with motor driven vehicles, such for instance as street cars.

Heretofore much difficulty has been experienced by the gear cases commonly employed becoming loose through the loosening of the joints connecting the same with the brackets on which they are supported, which is the result of the inevitable jolting and vibration of the car running along the tracks.

The primary object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty and so connect the brackets by which the gear cases are supported, to the same,-that the loosening of these parts by means of the vibration of the car, 1s overcome, and another object of my invention is to provide a gear case in which the perpheries of the separable members of the case are formed from an integral piece of metal.

In carrying out my invention, the gear case is preferably made in similar halves, each of which comprises a peripheral member having integral edge and end flanges, side members connected to the said peripheral members and brackets engaging and connected to said side members in such a manner that the vibration of the car is not apt to loosen the joints between these parts.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved gear case. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a partial end elevation of the gear case. Fig. 4 is a section on line x, x, Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the form into which the metal is cut for shaping up the brackets employed.

Referring to the drawing and as aforesaid, the gear case comprising my present invention is made in two parts similarly constructed and so shaped that parts of the case when place together are elliptical in outline, the division being made lengthwise of the case. Each half of the gear case referably comprises a peripheral member indicated at 10, the sides of which are turned down to form the edge flange 11, the extremities of the peripheral member 10 being outturned to form the end flanges 12 and within the end flanges 12 I employ filler pieces indicated at 13. The peripheral member 10 with its flanges 11 and 12, is preferably made of sheet metal, as are also the side members 14 which are connected to the peripheral member by being riveted to the flanges 11 as indicated at 15. Over the end flanges 12 and extending an appreciable distance along the outer surface of the peripheral member 10, I may employ a reinforcing plate 16 which is suitably connected to said peripheral member by rivets or otherwise.

17 designates a door, which as customary, is provided in the peripheral member of the upper half of the gear case in order to obtain access to the interior thereof when in use and on the smaller end of the gear case a bracket 18 is4 secured for the purpose of assisting in the support of the gear case when in position in use, the parts of the case being connected together by the bolts 19 or otherwise, it being understood that the abutting edges of the side members 14 may be ground or otherwise finished to form a close joint between the same. These side members 14 are provided in suitable positions with semi-circular recesses which when the parts are in place, form circular apertures through which pass the shafts upon which the gears are mounted.

In order to suitably support the gear case, I prefer to employ a bracket whichis stamped or otherwise worked up of a piece of sheet metal or other suitable material, and by reference to Fig. 5 which is a plan of such piece of sheet metal before the bracket is formed therefrom,-20 designates the base of the bracket, 21 the side members thereof, 23 the back members and 24 afoot member.

Now as will be apparent, the side members 21 are turned up on the dotted lines 25 to positions at right angles to the base member 20 or approximately so and the back members 23 are turned inwardly on the dotted lines 26 to assume positions at approximately right angles to the side members 21, in which positions of course the foot member 24 will lie in substantially the same plane as the back members 23. The lower end of the foot member 24 is now turned over upon the dotted lines indicated at 27, so as to form a hook adapted to fit over the edge of the side members 14 in the upper half of the gear case and intoa recess provided for the same, which as will be understood, is of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the metal from which the bracket is formed, so that the under side of the hook will abut against the adjacent edge of the side plate in the lower half of the case7 these parts all being so placed in position are preferably further connected by means of rivets 29 passing through the back member 23 of the bracket, through the side member 14 and through a reinforcing strip or brace 28 placed within the gear case, these reinforcing slips 28 preferably being angular so as to extend across the inner surface of the peripheral member and to be connected thereto by the rivets indicated at 30 or otherwise.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that when it is found necessary to place the bracket near the edge of the gear case, one of the back members may be extended to reach across the outer surface of the peripheral member 10 and to be riveted at 32 thereto instead of being riveted to the side member 14 and as is also indicated in the drawing, l may employ the reinforcing strips indicated at 31 which are riveted or otherwise connected to the outer surfaces of the side members of the lower part of the case and adapted to overlap the side members of the upper part of the case to assist in maintaining the parts in their proper positions, and under the brace of each bracket,

to strengthen the same, l may also employ a filler piece shown at 33.

I claim as my invention:

1. A divided gear case, the parts of which each comprise a peripheral member having side and end flanges, side members connected to the said flanges and a bracket having a part engaging the edge of one of the said members and to which the said bracket is connected.

2. A gear case comprising sheet metal members each having side and end flanges integral therewith, side members connected to the side flanges of the aforesaid members, filler pieces within said end flanges, braces within the case, and brackets connected eX- teriorly on the said side members and to the said braces.

3. A divided gear case, the parts of which each comprise a peripheral sheet metal member, having side and end flanges integral therewith, side members connected to the said flanges, and a bracket having a part engaging the edge of one of the said side members and to which the said bracket is connected.

4. A divided gear case, the parts of which each comprise a peripheral sheet metal member, having side and end flanges integral therewith, side members connected to the said side flanges, and a bracket having a foot member provided with a hook or overturned portion adapted to receive and lit over the edge of one of the side members of the upper half of the case and to which the said bracket is also otherwise connected.

5. A divided gear case, the parts of which each comprise a peripheral sheet metal member, having side and end flanges integral therewith, side members connected to the said side flanges, and a bracket formed of an integral piece of sheet metal and having a base, side members, back members and a foot member with a hook at the lower end thereof adapted to receive and fit over the edge of the side member of the upper half of the casing and within a recess provided therein, rivets connecting the said back members of the bracket to the said side member.

Signed by me this 16th day of September, 1908.

JAMES GRADY.

Witnesses GEO. T. PINCKNEY, BERTHA M. ALLEN. 

